Kernersville Company, ERD Ltd., Boosts Business Overseas

Greensboro, NC -- Businesses have to continually find new markets and new clients to make a profit, which can be a challenge in a tough economy.

That's why some Triad businesses have decided to go global.

"It comes from everywhere -- from nuclear power plants to the federal government and the military. It's just amazing what we get in here," said Tom Robinson, Vice President at ERD Ltd. in Kernersville.

"We kind of laugh and giggle sometimes at some of the things that come in the door. And it goes any place from a one-person shop, to we also deal with 30 of the Fortune 100 companies in the world," he said.

At ERD, you'll find the staff of 20 working on everything from simple boards to complex robots. The electronics and parts that need to be fixed are shipped in from 65 different countries.

However, it wasn't always that way. A year and a half ago, Owner and Chief Engineer Glenn Flaherty and his team decided it was time to boost business. They used one tool to market their services: The internet.

Since then, their international business has grown from less than five percent to more than 25 percent. In turn, they've created more jobs in the Triad.

"We grew 40 percent last year. And this year, we're on track to do even better than that," said Robinson.

This week is World Trade Week, which the U.S. government officially proclaimed as a national observance in 1935.

Organizations and government agencies are using the week to inform businesses of all sizes that there are resources for them and guidance to help them go global.